The automaker and its partners, including Domino's Pizza and ride-hailing company Lyft, are starting pilot programs now to see how consumers react to autonomous vehicles.

Ford is also setting up its first-ever autonomous vehicle terminal where it will learn how to manage its test fleet.

It's all part of Ford's effort to find viable business models for fully autonomous vehicles and get them on the road by 2021. Ford isn't the first automaker to run autonomous test fleets. But the partnership with a specific metropolitan area is less common.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez says the area wants to be at the forefront of new technology.